See?

Sea Sky
38" x 38"
Acrylic and Spraypaint
Processing...


















Sea Sky
12" x 12"
Acrylic and Spraypaint
Process

Through the Trees

Thinking a lot, at Robert's suggestion, about what really attracts me to the themes that reoccur over and over in my work. Moving through space, moving through trees. The embrace of the woods, the speed and satisfaction of weaving around and under obstacles, the comfort and company of living Witnesses to my life. The contrast of their open, unexpected organic presence to the heavy grid that we construct as modern, urban life. The way they smell, the way they sound. My witness to the stages of their lives. Traveling through time, together.

Having a wonderful...

...time.















This is the size of a postcard, created for Art Lab 9.
https://sites.google.com/site/artlab9

Before black, after white.

...thinking about depth, neutralizing the purple, maintaining the edge of untouched canvas, pulling back from the precipice of pretty...

Supposedly, the painting is on its side, but this is how I have been thinking about it.

Rain, Sun, Pie.

Rain then Sun
38" x 38"
Woodblock print, acrylic, oil, cold wax, spray paint, moab earth
In Process

One of the hardest things for me about mountain biking in the rain is how hard it is to see through all the rain drops on your glasses. Mountain biking is really hard enough without visibility problems, but there you have it. This painting reminds me of my first rainy mountain bike ride, which I had recently. Rain, then Sun.

Moab dirt all over my studio, spray paint on my scissors and paint on just about everything else. Whew! Painting fueled by cherry pie. This is what happens. I know this piece will not stay where it is for long, because I am very unsettled with it, but I wanted to share the whimsical quality it has right now before I work any more on it. Oh and what did I learn today? I can print my woodblocks directly on a primed and stretched canvas, and $10 a can spray paint is kinda worth it.

The motion of listening.

Listen
10" x 30" Triptych
Wood block print collage, oil, cold wax

Like a dream - but better.

Forest Flight Blow
big x really big
acrylic, sumi, oil, cold wax
in process

When I run through the forest trails really fast there is a feeling of flight - the ground rises and falls - the robins and wrens flush before me, and the light creates pattern and illusion - stark silhouettes and pockets of distance, blindness and vision - blur.
Its like a dream - but better.

Invitation to In Between

Hesperia (formerly blow)
Sumi, oil, cold wax, woodblock print collage, moab earth
36" x 36"

I have been thinking a lot about the places between elements of contrast where understanding and union occur. I believe this has led to the emphasis in this piece on the horizon and colors representing the beautiful and compelling union of day and night.

I always find it fascinating how I can go into a painting with a fairly specific plan, and the painting almost always has other ideas. Letting the painting lead the conversation of creating often makes better sense than my conscious ideas, and it usually turns out that my original plan comes out in time, but other things have to happen first - like this. Such a lesson about not letting the busy mind try to pull things to us before they are ready to come to us on their own.

I will let this painting rest just a bit, but I am considering pushing the darks in the forground and the atmospheric texture of the background if/when I go back into it.

Robert Yoder, my new wonderful mentor, and I had a great meeting where we talked about my desire for contrast and ambiguity and he suggested focusing on the square in order to detract from the landscape impications of the rectangle. I love working with the square and recently bought a ton of stretchers for more 36" and 38"squares. I am going to see about stepping back into a more minimal approach to reflecting on sea sky forest on this scale. I also wonder about the component aspect of same size squares in order to address the idea of a larger scale without working on giant pieces. Could these squares all come together somehow? Sounds like an invitation. Union. The places where different things meet. The beauty of between. The tenderness of transitions. The gifts of new spaces, and the patience to let them reveal themselves.

The start of something.

Blow
Sumi, woodblock print, cold wax, oil, Moab earth
36" x 36"
In Perpetual Progress

So not over, upside down (maybe) and filled with ideas for tomorrows...

Flipped...

I think I like it better this way.

More...

Forest Flight
Mixed Media
6' x 5'
In Process

Despite the murmurs in my head (psst...the top edge of the close shape must go) and the fact that much subtlety is lost in this image, I wanted to record this stage because some of the things I am interested in (atmosphere, contrast, transparent layers, lift) are starting to happen! I am slowly accepting the reality that working this large is just not the best scale for me in my current space. I think after this painting I might seriously let the large scale go.
Stay tuned... same bat channel.